Neuronavigation

Hi all, Ramin Rak here again with another blog post.

I am a neurological surgeon affiliated with Neurological Surgery, P.C. in New York. I specialize in using microneurosurgical techniques for the treatment of brain tumors and complex spine diseases. I also perform skull-based surgery and awake craniotomies.

Recently at Huntington Hospital, which is part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital System, I had a chance to combine neuronavigation and microsurgery to treat a patient named Roger Sencer.

While out driving, Roger suddenly forgot where he was, who he was, and even forgot recent events in his life. He was brought to Huntington Hospital where he was diagnosed with a large tumor resting on the brain: a condition called meningioma.

The next day I met with Roger and we bonded quickly over our interest in spiritual matters.

The surgery took nearly 12 hours but luckily at the end of surgery I was confident that he had been cured. Roger’s wife explains the wait below in this excerpt from an article from Huntington Hospital’s website:

Jane, on the other hand, remembers every detail – the nearly 12 hours in the surgical waiting room surrounded by friends and loved ones, being impressed by the technology in place throughout the hospital, the compassion of the entire hospital staff, and most importantly, the serene look on Dr. Ramin Rak’s face when he finally emerged from the operating room and said, “This is one of those times when I can confidently say the patient is cured.” Their entire contingency of family and friends erupted in applause.

The surgery took so long because Roger’s tumor was at the base of the skull surrounded by essential neurovascular structures.

Using pre-operative navigation planning the day before the surgery, I was able to create a three-dimensional map of his head. This allowed me to avoid injury to blood vessels and preserve the olfactory nerve during surgery.

Fortunately, neuronavigation was possible thanks to this map and my neurosurgical techniques.

Three months later Roger returned to work.

In the future I will speak more about some of the intricate surgeries I have performed.